I’ve blown my diet.… 🫣

When you’re trying to lose weight we often conflate ‘healthy’ foods as automatically

helpful for weight loss. With the weather a little warm (at times) at the moment you may be craving an ice lolly or two. You may even have two or three and then find yourself feeling guilty for having succumbed to the craving and berate yourself for being really ‘bad’ and blowing your diet. Or you may think you’re being very virtuous and avoid the ice cream and have what is perceived to be a ‘healthy’ snack of dried fruit (mango).

In reality in terms of calories the ‘healthy’ snack in this example is actually worse ! Yes the mango does have more micronutrients, but that doesn’t mean the ice cream lollies are a bad option. Of course the ice cream lollies are high in sugar but sugar isn’t inherently bad either (and the mango is even higher) and they have the same

amount of protein. In reality you’re unlikely to eat 3 ice lollies in one go anyway so you’d in fact be consuming even fewer calories!

Overall calories are what count if you’re trying to lose weight. You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight so in that scenario the ice lollies are the better option. Especially if you’re eating a balanced diet and getting the other micronutrients in your other meals.

Emotional well being is also important and depriving yourself of foods you enjoy and instead choosing the dried fruit under the misguided impression that it’s a healthier option or because it’s marketed as ‘a healthy snack’ isn’t good for long term sustainability or a healthy approach to food.

Personally I’d choose both on different days – and I’d include them in my calories. The dried fruit is brilliant and does make a great snack option (as long as you’re aware of the calories) but on warm days an ice cream lolly or two is definitely required! 🍦 🤗

Xx

How To Stay On Track At Summer BBQ’s 🍗

It’s BBQ season! With lots of summer parties and BBQ’s it can be hard to stay on track with your goals. Here are some tips to help!

# Eat before you go

If it’s more of a drinks and nibbles type event then eat before you go so you’re not starving and likely to stuff down whatever nibbles come your way. Equally if it’s a late afternoon BBQ don’t let yourself get too hungry before you go – have an early lunch or brunch so you are satiated and less likely to overeat later.

# One piece of meat

There is no other meal really where you’d load up on chicken, burger, a sausage… maybe a lamb kebab … so why do we do it at BBQ’s? Treat it as a normal meal – one , maybe two pieces of meat max!

# Watch the salads

Salads are great but if they’re loaded with dressing, sauces, avocado, potatoes, cheese etc then they’re also quite high calorie. That’s not a prob – but don’t kid yourself that they’re low cal!

# Stay hydrated

Drinking water in between each alcoholic beverage can help keep you hydrated and save you some booze calories. Not getting too drunk will also help you make more sensible food choices too.

# Don’t stand by the food table.

You are more likely to over eat if you’re hanging around the food table. Take your conversation and move it away so you’re not tempted to mindlessly snack.

# Bank calories

As with any social event you can save some calories ahead of time. Don’t go too low in the preceding days but saving 100-200 cals for a few days will give you more to spend at the party.

# Shift the focus

Instead of focusing on the food and drink focus on the company instead. You’ll remember the fun times with friends more than the burger you eat…

# Have fun and don’t stress

If you do wake up the next day and you’re a little heavier don’t stress yourself out over it. Get right back on track. It’s most likely just water and a lot of glycogen. Stressing about it it’s just going to make things worse. Enjoy yourself.

🤗Xx

Grocery shopping tips… 🛒

It may sound simple but getting the grocery shopping right is a good way to set yourself up for success if you’re trying to lose weight.

Here are a few tips:

# Make a list

Very basic, but so so important! How many times have you walked aimlessly through the supermarket, ended up buying things on impulse and forgetting things you needed.

# Keep it consistent

You don’t need to buy different things each week. There’s nothing wrong with consistency week to week. In fact having a fairly consistent diet (as long as it’s a balanced one) is a great way to help reduce decision fatigue and stick to your plan.

# Use a trolley for main shops only

If you’re doing a larger shopping trip then use a trolley. For other shops either use a basket or nothing – to avoid loading up on things you don’t need.

# Check calories

If you’re trying to maintain a calorie deficit then it’s worth checking calories as you shop, rather than getting home and discovering you’ve bought things you can’t accommodate easily within your calorie budget.

# Shop the rainbow

This tip relates to the variety of fruit and veggies. Different colours relate to different nutrient profiles, so try your best to incorporate as much color when you’re in the produce section

# Chill out

If you are a busy person then ready meals, frozen veggies and fruit are a great thing to stock up on. There’s nothing wrong with convenience foods – especially nowadays – there are loads of great ones and frozen fruits and veg are often higher in nutrients than some fresh ones anyway.

# Be realistic

How many times have you done a ‘new diet’ grocery shop where you buy no ‘treats’ or indulgences? This results in unnecessary dietary restraint, often daily stops at convenience stores and then overeating when you do get the treats you wanted. Add some treats to you trolley!

# Spend 30-60 mins

Try to limit shopping trips to 30-60 mins if you can – so you’re not rushing but equally so it’s not taking forever. The longer you spend the more likely you are to add unnecessary extras into the cart.

# Avoid the hype

Try to look past marketing and sales pitches. Just because something has ‘healthy’ or ‘skinny’ or ‘high protein’ emblazoned across it doesn’t mean it’s automatically lower calorie or actually healthy. Look at the labels. Equally avoid being swayed by sales deals that might make you buy products you don’t actually want!

🤗Xx

Ice creams / Lollies for 100 cals or less … 🍦

Technically it’s summer… despite what the weather thinks.. but nevertheless it’s definitely ice cream and lolly season for me and my clients.
There’s a perception that ice creams / lollies are ‘bad’ and something that is a bit ‘naughty’ so if you’re trying to lose weight you might deny yourself these cooling treats believing them to be ‘bad’ (aka high calorie). However, there’s no reason you have to give up ice creams and ice lollies to lose weight as it ultimately comes down to whether you’re in a calorie deficit.

Obviously there are many frozen desserts out there which are high calorie and some can be 300 cals or more. So if they’re on top of your main meals then you might end up racking up unwanted calories. However in this weather everyone needs a cold snack or dessert right? So if you do fancy an ice cream or lolly, but want to stay within your calories then here are a selection of lower calorie options at 100 cals or less. This list is by no means exhaustive – but it’s just a range of the options out there.

Oppo Salted Caramel balls 20 cals each
Mini milk 32 cals
Rocket lolly 39 cals
Mini twister lolly 39 cals
Fruit pastille lolly 57 cals
Little moons mochi balls 70 cals each
Fab lolly 75 cals
Regular twister lolly 76 cals
Jude mini ice cream tubes 70
Jude mini ice creams 94 cals
Exotic Solero lolly 98 cals
Calipo Lolly 100 cals

So you can fill up on ice lollies to stay cool this summer without worrying it’s going to derail your progress!
Enjoy 🤗
Xx

How to get a flat belly… 💪🏼

Many people want a flat stomach/visible abs and one of the most common things I’m asked is which exercises are best to achieve this. The common myth is that in order to ‘tone’ your stomach and get a flatter belly you need to do lots of abdominal exercises like sit ups or planks, do specific belly blasting workouts (you see so many of these advertised on social media) or do Pilates (or similar workouts), do a tonne of exercise., or even perhaps take some sort of belly fat blasting supplement/ tea or detox product.

The reality is that sadly there’s no quick fix – if you want a flat stomach it’s going to take more than some magic tea or a load of ab exercises. First off, everyone has abs – the muscles may be tiny or weak but that 6 pack is there. They’re just hidden under a layer of fat for most people. Fat does NOT turn into muscle; they are two different things. You could have strong abs, but if they are buried under fat no amount of exercise will give you a flat stomach or a 6 pack, because it doesn’t address the fat on top of your muscles.

A flat stomach only appears when you have a low enough bodyfat percentage. But ab exercises and magic teas are a lot more exciting to market than ‘eat less, move more’ … so it’s not surprising there are so many products out there making these claims.

So if you’re punishing yourself with endless sit ups every day – stop – it’s not going to give you a flat stomach. You can’t target or spot reduce fat from anywhere. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t work those muscles, it’s important to work the ab muscles to protect your back etc but it won’t reduce belly fat.

So how can you lose belly fat? Everyone loses fat from certain parts of their body in different orders depending on age, weight, sex, genetics etc. You can’t control where it goes from first. Women will tend to hold more fat in their belly, hips and thighs, whilst men tend to store more in the belly and butt. You may not lose it from those areas first; it may go from your arms or legs etc.

All you can do is aim to lose bodyfat generally and once you lose enough of it you will see it go from everywhere eventually! The only way to do this is to consume fewer calories than you currently are. So track your calories, find out how many you’re currently eating and then reduce it! And stick with it for weeks or months (not just 5 days!). Reduce or plan in the obvious high calorie things like alcohol/meals out etc,stay generally active (walking or exercise you enjoy) and prioritise sleep (it’s very hard to control your appetite when you’re tired). These will all help you maintain that calorie deficit.

If you’re at a calorie deficit you will lose fat and at some point that fat will come off your belly too!

🤗Xx